Monster, Monster, down by the lake . . .

Watch my Youtube video of this post in action!

I found this cute little rhyme on Pinterest:

Monster, Monster, down by the lake,

I'm going to reach in and see what you ate!

I grabbed an empty tissue box and covered it in green construction paper.  I made teeth and big beady eyes.  I knew the monster wouldn't last long, but that doesn't bother me!  Kids generally like to play an educational game once or twice and then they never want to touch it again.

That has not been the case with this one!  I have 2 boys who love it when I try to eat their arms!  

Inside of the monster are recycled K-Cups and bottle caps I've been collecting. I wrote one blend on each bottle cap/K-cup from several different blend ladders. This is a good game for a little one who still needs to practice their blends, but can handle a little bit of a challenge, as they are faced with multiple blend ladders in the same session.  

This is a wonderful game for boys or girls who aren't afraid of reaching into a monster's mouth.  My boys play this when it isn't school time.  Watch the video for some tips, and to see a homeschooling mom of 2 antsy boys in action.  

In addition to the game, here are 3 tips for a successful circle time at home:

• Have a mat or a pillow for each child to sit on.  Otherwise, their little legs will crawl, kick, jump, or walk wherever they see fit.  This was the first time I implemented this tip, and there are at least a hundred fewer interruptions.
• Always praise a child- even if you had to prompt the correct answer!
• You can control a child by the inflection of your voice.  Most people think getting louder will quiet a noisy child or group.  The exact opposite is true! Whisper instead, and they will quiet themselves just to hear you.